Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Tournament set for Alabama’s Lake Eufaula
“The Bass Capital of the World” set to host 200 boaters and Strike King Co-anglers from four BFL Divisions competing for spot in 2024 BFL All-American, top prize of $60,000
EUFAULA, Ala. – The Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine’s Choo Choo, Gator, Music City and Savannah River divisions will finish out the 2023 season in Eufaula, Alabama, Oct. 12-14, with the Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine Regional Event at Lake Eufaula.
Hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, the three-day regional tournament will feature the top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from all four divisions, battling it out for a top prize of $60,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, along with lucrative contingency awards, including up to an additional $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus. Strike King co-anglers will compete for a top prize of $50,000, including a Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard. Winners will be determined by the heaviest three-day catch.
The top six finishers in each regional will qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. The highest finishing boater from each division will also receive a $1,000 bonus and the highest finishing co-angler from each division will receive a $500 bonus.
“I think this tournament is likely going to be a feast- or famine-type event,” said MLF pro Braxton Setzer of Wetumpka, Alabama. “Fall fishing in Alabama is very fun, but it can be tough. I think we’ll see some guys really catch them, but I many guys in the field may not do so hot.
“The fish are scattered out, so we’ll probably see anglers doing a little bit of everything,” Setzer continued. “From offshore with the forward-facing sonar to way up shallow, it’s really a toss up between the two patterns. I think if a guy gets on the right deal up shallow, he could run away with it.”
Setzer said that he’d have a squarebill crankbait and topwater or walking bait tied on, like a 5-inch Yo-Zuri Pencil, to target the cypress trees and shallow cover. If he moved out offshore, he’d throw a Yo-Zuri 3+ or 4+ crankbait and a Rabid Baits shakey-head rig.
“Typically, if a guy can get into the upper teens – 17 or 18 pounds a day – he’ll be feeling pretty good about his week,” Setzer went on to say. “But that being said, there are plenty of very big fish in Lake Eufaula so it could definitely take even more.”
Anglers will launch at 7 a.m. CT each morning from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive, in Eufaula, Alabama. Weigh-ins will also be held at the landing and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine consisted of 24-divisions devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regionals. The 2024 BFL All-American will be held May 29-31 at Cherokee Lake in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
The top boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.